Chapter 19: Blood and Bone

Kuzo went back to the residence. He met Tonbee, who was the first one to notice that he was covered in blood.

"Kuzo, what just happened?" he looked at Kuzo's attire. "And where is the wild boar I asked you for."

He must be assuming that Kuzo ran into some missing nins and forgot to change his attire.

But it wasn't the case.

"This place had been found out," Kuzo explained, "I was ambushed by 4 ninjas. Their combination is formidable that even you would die."

Tonbee was at a Jonin level, so it wouldn't be wise to underestimate him. But the 4 he faced could trap anyone.

Kuzo had thought about it. If he didn't attack them first, and if he hadn't used strategy, then these three could use a combination jutsu and take him down.

"Hold up. You say you were ambushed. But it is impossible for them to find you here?"

"I don't know how. But they knew that I was here. I don't know, how again," Kuzo replied. "At any rate, I'm going to use some mind-reading jutsu on one of their heads and find out."

It could be Danzo. It could be Orochimaru's spies who found him.

But they knew that he was hiding around here, and they were ready to take him.

What were their methods? He would find out once he would use the mind transfer jutsu.

His chakra reserves were a bit below half. But he could take the information out of the twin's heads.

Tonbee frowned. He took a few deep breaths. "Please, inform me as soon as you find something."

Kuzo could understand his feelings. The forbidden jutsu they had was sought by many. If their hiding place was found, then it would be a crisis.

Kuzo headed toward his residence and changed his clothes as soon as possible. He then started taking a few breaths, recovering his lost energy.

-x-X-x-

Kuzo locked his door. In the middle of the room, there was one head. Since the twins were together all of the time, they would have the same information. So it would be good to have one. Kuzo had his hand on the head, his other hand forming a hand seal.

'Mind Reading Jutsu'

Kuzo entered the mind-space of Sakon. He could get information starting from the man's terrible childhood, to how he had become a prisoner to Orochimaru, to then how he had to fight with his brother in royal battles.

Kuzo skipped to more recent events.

What he learned was worse.

Orochimaru wasn't interested in him since he didn't know his ability.

However, he was interested in En No Gyoja's Forbidden Jutsu.

The Sound 4 were on a mission to capture Kuzo, who by some source found that he was staying at En No's place. And they knew that he was a sensory type.

Not only so. But the leader of their squad, Kimimaro, was using a special Fuinjutsu to hide his chakra signature.

Kimimaro. What type of person he was.

He died against Gaara and Rock Lee from illness.

But he wasn't that ill now.

You know. The 4 Sound ninjas he had used strategy to beat.

Kimimaro could beat them head-on without using the curse seal power when he was healthy.

It was also said that Kimimaro helped Orochimaru to kill the Kazekage. That's Gaara's father, a very powerful shinobi.

And now, he wasn't very sick as he used to be. He's just at the beginning stages of his illness. From what he read, Kimimaro had a plan, made by Kabuto.

It was to capture Kuzo, then let him escape to En No's place before following him.

-x-X-x-

Kuzo quickly undid the Mind Reading Jutsu and jumped out of his residence.

Hotaru, who was walking around, looked at him and noticed how weird he was acting.

Kuzo was looking left and right.

"Kuza Sama. What's the matter?" asked Hotaru.

"I believe someone found this place," Kuzo said.

Tonbee appeared from nowhere. He looked at Kuzo and said, "did anyone follow you from your last mission?"

"I couldn't sense anyone."

"Well. Apparently, someone did follow you!"

"I could tell," Kuzo replied, "I've read the mind of someone I killed. Someone is using a high level Fuinjutsu to hide his presence."

"Don't worry. We have many traps," replied Tonbee with a stoic expression on his face, "Even a Jonin would die from them."

Kuzo didn't know how to explain it.

"Let me tell you. From what I found, that guy has almost an unbreakable shield of bones around him. And he is not your usual Jonin," replied Kuzo.

BOOM BAAM

Sounds of explosions could be heard.

Kuzo lowered his head. A drop of sweat formed on his cheek.

"He's bypassed them."

Tonbee raised his head. "Then we have no choice but to fight."

Hotaru entered between Kuzo and Tonbee. "Tonbee San. What's going on?"

"Nothing," Tonbee replied, "Tell your grandfather that we and Kuzo will take care of it. In the worst case, you should escape Hotaru. After all, you have the forbidden jutsu of the Tsuchigomo clan."

Hotaru didn't understand what's going on and kept staring.

Kuzo turned and yelled at her, "Do as you are told!"

There wasn't time.

A pale young man appeared standing in front of them. He wore clothes like those four whom Kuzo had killed. He had white long hair and green eyes. A very huge chakra reserve he did have.

After all, this man was a descendant of the Kaguya clan.

Kaguya. Originally, she was the mother of the Six Paths Sage and his brother.

But it's not unlikely that after her husband tried to kill her, she had an affair with someone else and brought another kid who bore her name.

'Who banged her thought. That man should be a legend among legends.'

So here it was. Another clan descendant from an alien. There was the Uchiha, the Senju, and the Uzumaki. (Senju and Uzumaki are cousins) Now, the Kaguya.

'Well. I should consider myself lucky, to have a fight with Kimimaro in his prime.'

Albeit a bit afraid, Kuzo was quite excited. This was the man who gave Lee and Gaara a difficult time when his body was impossible to move but with only willpower. Now that he was healthy, Kuzo didn't know if they could beat him. 

He had half of his chakra reserve. But the half he had was more than the full he had yesterday. It didn't make sense that it grew this big from the 4 Sound nins he'd killed. But Orochimaru's soul fragment could take the credit.

Still. He was quite tired from his last fight. 

"Young man, halt," said Tonbee.

He took a step further. Kimimaro gave Tonbee a bland glance as if he weren't interested.

"Where is En No Gyoja?" asked Kimimaro.

What's the basics of shinobi fight. Keep calm. Find a plan, and then strike. Kuzo was thinking of it. With Tonbee next to him, he could do something with the Yamanaka clan jutsu, mind transfer jutsu. It's risky. But whatever. Also, Kuzo had gained many interesting tricks from his last fight. So be it.

He took a step further, "You have to defeat me if you want to know the answer to that."

"You're Kuzo, from Konoha. I have no orders to kill you. But if you stand in my way, you'll die."

Kuzo turned his head and looked at the bright sun, "isn't it a good day to die." He then had a wild smile.

From Kuzo's body, his blood lust manifested as he released a huge amount of chakra.

Kimimaro's expression changed, "This killing intent. It's as if it's the same as my master." He then extended his hand to the right. From the skin of his palm, a bone emerged, forming a sword. "You can't be left alive."

Tonbee's finger shone with chakra. He wrote a character in the air. From it, a lightning bolt headed toward Kimimaro, who reflected it with his sword. Kimimaro then dashed with a very quick movement that he left an afterimage behind him.

Tonbee saw the bone sword heading toward him. He parried with his fist hitting Kimimaro's wrist. Then he punched toward his chest.

Kimimaro didn't dodge. Instead, he gave a bland look.

Blood splashed.

But it wasn't Kimimaro's.

It was Tonbee's.

From Kimimaro's chest, bone spikes appeared and they pierced Tonbee's fist.

And at that moment, Kimimaro flipped his bone sword and thrust backward, threatening to enter Tonbee's back.

But he stopped.

At the back. Kuzo's body was taking the mind transfer jutsu's stance.

He looked at Tonbee, and he said. "Get away from here. Take the old man with you and the girl. And leave him to me."

"Why are you going this far?" Asked Tonbee.

"Cause I banged your mom. We don't have time to chit chat so move!" Kuzo, as Kimimaro, went to his original body and grabbed a few explosive tags, and he attached them to Kimimaro's body.

The man had a huge bone density that he doubted that this would work.

There was a layer of bones that protected him even under the skin.

But any little damage should count.

Tonbee nodded, "I'll make a clear way for the young mistress, until then, hang on. Me and master will help you."

Kimimaro's body jumped backward. Kuzo indeed the mind transfer jutsu. When he opened his eyes, he saw Kimimaro looking at him with his cold green eyes. At that moment, a layer of bones appeared in front of Kimimaro's eyes, covering them.

After a large explosion, Kimimaro's body was sent flying a hundred meters away.

'This is the toughest motherfucker that I've faced.' Kuzo thought as he used body-flicker jutsu to catch up to Kimimaro, jumping off the mountain.

When he appeared a hundred meters away, Kimimaro was standing on his feet. Only his shirt was damaged, and his skin appeared to have a few wounds. But nothing was serious.

Kimimaro landed on his feet, and he looked at Kuzo. "And you know the Yamanaka Clan Jutsu. But you don't have enough power."

Kuzo jogged in his place and punched the air a few times. "Anyone can have an interesting trick in their sleeves. But let me entertain you more."